Tips for A Girl Backpacking Alone

1.Smile. I know it's simple but if you are ready to
smile at anyone then you can make friends easily. With friends everywhere you will never get
lonely.

2.Learn how
to say NO! On the other hand not every one is looking to just be your
friend. You need to learn how to
effectively say NO and walk away.

3.Don’t
bring more then you can carry. You
really don’t need that pair of high heels when your traveling. It's just extra weight. And believe me your back will start to hurt after
awhile with a heavy bag. This goes for
buying things you don’t need as well.

5.Learn how
to read a map. I
can’t tell you how easy it is to get lost in a big city. Learn how to read a map and then pick one up
first thing from your hostel. If you
feel conspicuous then keep it folded up very small.

6.A church
is almost always a safe space.If you ever feel nervous or uncomfortable
in a situation find the nearest church, synagogue or mosque. As long as you are polite and respectful you
will always be welcomed into a religious space. Just explain your predicament
if anyone asks.

7.Bring
loose comfy pants. No
matter how hard you try you are going to gain weight while traveling. Don’t sweat it, it will fall off when you get
home. In the mean time get loose comfy
pants so you can enjoy that Italian pasta or Spanish tapas, it's worth it.

8.Keep an
open mind. Always remember that you
are going to be meeting people from all over the globe, with very different ideas
then you. While getting into a political
debate can be fun, make sure the other person is comfortable with the topic.

9.Be ready
to get teased. This is true
especially if you are American. Everyone
LOVES (and thinks it's their right) to make fun of Americans. So just give it back to them, just make sure
they know your joking when you tease them back.

10.Seek out the other people traveling alone.
It is very easy to make friends with someone who really wants to make
friends. That means if you look for
other people on their own they are going to be more then willing to hang out
with you.

11.Stop caring about your hair. Yes it's going to look crappy. It is going to be frizzy and dirty and never
look right. Get over it and put it in a
bun. You will find a new “backpacking”
style as you travel.

12.Always carry a kindle (or nook). It’s
the best company ever! You have over 100
books in one tiny little device. Movies and ipods are good but a if you are
stuck on a long train ride, or have to go eat dinner by yourself, you will
never get bored. Also people don’t
bother people who are reading.

13.Dinner for 1 please! Yes it can be a little embarrassing to go to
a fancy dinner by yourself, but its important to treat yourself once in awhile
when traveling. Other wise you will go
insane. Just take it in stride. Bring a good book, order a glass of wine, and
look confident and no one will think any less of you.

14.Have a me day. Just because your traveling doesn’t mean
you have to sightsee every single day.
If your going for months, then remind yourself that you will need to
take a day off every once in awhile to just read a book, watch a movie, or sleep!

15.Have a system for your bag. If you travel with a backpack with out a
dividing system for your clothes you will go insane. I use thin little divider bags that are all
different colors or sizes so that I know my shirts are in the large purple bag
and my underwear is in the little blue one.

16. Bring the internet. Whether you bring a small laptop, an Ipad, or
a smart phone its good to have a way to use wifi. It sucks to get kicked off a hostel computer
or have to pay for internet when you can get free wifi. It can also help you in an emergency, most
café’s have wifi.

17.Change your plans. Always be ready to change your plans, whether
it's because there is a riot in the city you're heading to or someone suggests a
really cool place to go. It's worth being
a little flexible along the way.

18.Bring a credit card and try not to use it.
It's always good to have a back up in case something happens, and you always need a
credit card to book hostels and trains online, but try to keep it for that
only. If you have to get cash out every
time you spend money then you will be more aware of how much you are spending.

19.Try every thing once, even if it scares
you. You probably only get to do this once, so make
the most of it. Try to push your self to
do something you wouldn’t normally do, as long as it's safe.
Try that new food, go to that city.
If you hate it you don’t have to do it again.

20. Have fun! This is your trip, so enjoy yourself! You are gonna learn a lot about the world and
yourself, but have blast while you do it!